Ditching-machine.



, No. 881,942. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

T. B. NICHOLSON.

DI'IGHING MACHINE. APPIfIoATIoH FILBD H3119. 1907.

a'snBnTs-SHEBT 1.

PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

T. B. NICHOLSON.

DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLIoA'rIoN FILED 33.19. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

' shown the numerals 10, 11 designate beams` THOMAS E. NICHOLSON, OF WASHINGTON, IOWA.

` DITGHIN G-MACHINE.

Application filed February 19, 1907.

`Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Serial No. 358,997.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. NICHOL- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing l at-l/Vashington, in the county of Washington and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Ditching-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The Object of this invention is to provide improved means for cutting ditches and elevating earth therefrom.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for elevating earth from a ditch.

-A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for adjusting the altitude of a plow and elevating mechanism ina ditching. machine.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement land combination ofelements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the .accompanying drawing, in whichi Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig.. 2 isa vertical longitudinalsection of the machine. Fig. 3 is a detail of-a sprocket wheel and shaft-with connections.

In the construction of the machine as arranged side by side in a horizontal plane. The beams 10, 11 are supported at their forward ends on a steering a e 12 mounted onwheels 13, 14, and at theirrear ends on an axle 15 mounted on traction wheels 16, 17. The beams 10, 11 are spaced apart and are surmounted by a platform 18 formed with a central aperture. Side-bars 19, 20, of an elevator frame, are mounted parallel with each other between the beams 10, 11 and eX- inclined mold board 22.

tend through the-aperture in the latform 18 and the margins of said bars are s arpened to cut sides of the ditch. The lower end portions of the side-b ars 19, 20 are connected by a plow 21 provided with an upwardlyV and rearwardly A chain 23 isconnected at one end tothe lower forward portion of the side-b ars 19, 20 and extends upward and forward therefrom and is adapted to be engaged with a ,slot 24 in a standard 25 fixed to and between the forward end portions of the beams 10, 11. A shaft 26 is mounted for l rotation in bearings in and extends through the beams 10, 11. and a sleeve 27 is mounted loosely on said shaft between the beams a engages the rear' margins offthe side-bars 19, 20. A rod'ZS is mounted in andA conneats the l sleeve 27.

beams 10, 11 in front of the shaft 26 and a sleeve 29 is mounted loosely on said rod' between the beams .and engages the forward margins of the side-bars 19, 20. A rod 30 is mounted on the platform 18 above and to the rear of the shaft 26, and a sleeve 31 is mounted loosely on said rod and engages the rear margins of the side-bars 19, 20 above the It is the function of the sleeves 27, 29 and 31 to guide and support the elevator frame. Sprocket wheels 32', 33,.are

rmounted on the traction wheels 16,` 17 and are connected by chains 34, 35 to sprocket wheels 36 (one only of which is shown) on the shaft.26 and connected thereto by pawl .and ratchet (Fig. 3). Longitudinal slots 37, 3S are formed in the side-bars 19,. 20 and shafts 39,40 are mounted for rotation in bearings in the beams 10, 11 and extended through said .slots from side to side of the machine. Gear wheels 41, 42 are' mounted on end portions of the-shafts 39, 40 and meshwith each other, and a spur 'gear 43 on the shaft 26 meshes with a pinion44 lon'the shaft 40. Shafts 45, 46 are mounted for rotation in and connect the lower end portions of the side-bars 19, 20,

and similar shafts 47 ,-48 are mounted parallel therewith in and connect the upper end portions of said side-bars. Elevator'flivhts or a rons 49, 50 are mounted for trave on the sliiafts 45, 46, 47 and 48 and are driven by sprocket wheels 51, 52 on the shafts 39, 40, a bar '52al between said flights holding them to the driving wheels.v The flights or aprons 49, 5() are arranged arallel with each other and inclined in the p ane of the elevator frame.

A side-delivery apron or carrier 53 is supported on the upper end portion of the sidebars 19, 2O and to the rear thereof, and is driven by a s. aft 54 connected by bevel gearing 55 to a shaft 56mounted for rotation in said side-bars and driven by sprocket wheel 57 connecting with the flight 50. A ste 58 is mounted on the platform 1S in front o the the space between the flights by the moldboard 22. I and between the flights 49, 50 and dumped on the side-delivery carrier 53 and is de osited by said carrier to one side of the pat of travel of the machine.

It is the function of the parallel flights or elevators 49 and 5() to receive cut earth from the plow 2l and mold-board 22 and carry the same upwardly and rearwardly to the point of deposit, as shown. It will be observed that the flights or elevators 49 and 50 travel in opposite directions, that the cut earth rests on the ascending portion of the flight 50 and is held thereon and the elevation thereof gdiided and assisted by the ascending portion of the flights 49.

The strain of forward movement of the plow is borne by the chain 23 and its connections to the beams of the machine, and said plow and the elevator frame and elevators may be raised and lowered at will through manual adjustment of the screw 59.

I claim as my invention 1. A ditching machine, comprising a wheeled truck, a plow depending from said truck, parallel elevators-depending from said truck and spaced apart to receive cut earth between them, and driving connections between traction wheels of said truck and said' elevators.

2. A ditching machine, comprising a truck, an elevator frame mounted in said truck in an inclined plane and movable longitudinally through said truck, a plow mounted on the lower end of said frame, elevators mounted in said frame, driving connections between traction wheels of the truck and said elevators, and a stay chain fixed to the lower end of said frame and adjustably attached to said truck.

3. In a ditching machine, parallel elevators spaced apart and adapted to receive The cut earth is excavated by l earth between them, and means for driving said elevators in opposite directions.

4. In a ditching machine, a frame, sidebars mounted in inclined positions in said frame, said side bars formed with longitudinal slots, roller bearings on said frame supporting said side-bars, shafts on said frame extending throu h said slots, elevators mounted in parailel relations between said. side-bars and driven in opposite directions by said shafts, driving connections between said shafts and traction wheels, a plow on said side-bars, and screw devices for moving lsaid side-bars longitudinally through said frame.

5. A ditching machine, comprising a traction truck, side-bars mounted therein in inclined positions and formed with longitudinal slots, shafts mounted on said truck and extending through said slots, driving connections between the traction wheels of the truck and said shafts, elevators mounted parallel with each other in said frame and spaced a art to receive cut earth between them, a p ow between the lower end portions of said side-bars adjacent the lower ends of said elevators, connections between said 'shafts and the elevators, a side-delivery carrier mounted on the upper ends of said side-bars and geared to one of said elevators, screw mechanism mounted on said truck and engagin said side-bars whereby the elevators and plow,may be raised and lowered by manual actuation, roller-bearings on said truck at the front and rear of the side-bars and engaging therewith, and a stay-chain fixed to said sidebars and adapted to be detachably connected to the forward end portion of said truck.

THOMAS E. NICHOLSON.

' "Witnesses:

ORvrLLE ELDER, J. J. KELLOGG. 

